AMD Phenom 9600: Black Edition

INTRODUCTION

Most computer enthusiasts that have been involved in our unique society for more than a couple of years realize that the worlds two processor manufacturers, AMD and Intel, have been exchanging the "King of the Hill" title for quite a few years now. This exchange was generally seen to take place in one year increments, that was until the late Summer of 2006 when Intel's Core 2 Duo processor made its way into the enthusiast mainstream and the AMD K8 slowly, but most surely faded out of view. With each of these changing of the guard rituals you have a share of the fan boys from the losing side posting propaganda on the order of: "just wait until next year", "I'll dance with the one that brought me", or other bits of diatribe not properly rated for this review. Generally a year or even less later the roles are reversed and all is once again right with our world.

The soliloquy regurgitated above was set to continue a cyclic phase when rumors of AMD's new quad core processor, the Barcelona and its enthusiast counterpart the Phenom began to circulate in mid 2007. Early reports suggested that this chip would help AMD to restore parity in a market that was virtually dominated by the Core 2 Duo. We're talking Intel had so much of a market share that even the vast majority of diehard AMD supporters had at least one Core 2 Duo processor in their arsenal. Was it time to sound the trumpets, let the fireworks fly, and launch the next processing behemoth? Well not exactly, there was a bit of a delay.

Fast forward to today and the first of the Phenom series of processors is just beginning to reach the hands of the consumer market. Why such a delay? We wil discuss the rationale for the delay that we're aware of later in this review. We're of course not privy to all of the reasons but suffice it to say they must have been significant, as each month the chip remained dormant was/is certainly costing AMD big bucks. We enthusiasts would certainly prefer to have it right the first time, so let's hope the wait was worth it.

Today, we at Bjorn3D have the pleasure of reviewing the first of the Phenom family of processors to be released for sale to the public sector, the Phenom 9600. This processor will be sold in two versions; the Standard Edition with a multiplier locked above its 11.5X standard and the Black Edition which has a completely unlocked multiplier. Our review will be conducted using the Black Edition and for added flavor we'll include benchmarks and statistics from the Phenom 9900 engineering sample AMD was kind enough to include.

AMD at a Glance

A Leading Global Provider of Innovative Microprocessor and Graphics Solutions

Founded in 1969 and based in Sunnyvale, California, AMD designs and produces innovative microprocessor and graphics and media solutions for the computer, communications, and consumer electronics industries.

Quick Company Facts

• Year Company Started: 1969
• Number of Employees: approximately 16,500
• Headquarters: Sunnyvale, California
• CEO: Hector Ruiz
• Number of Locations: 80
• Revenue: $5.649 billion in 2006
• NYSE ticker symbol: AMD

Innovation

Since the beginning, our focus has gone beyond integrated circuits and transistors. AMD is the informed choice for those who want superior microprocessor and graphics solutions designed from the perspective of the customer. After all, our customers' success is our success. That’s why AMD products are always developed with customer needs in mind and not for the sake of technology alone. We provide real solutions for real customer problems that exist in the real world today. It’s a philosophy we refer to as “customer-centric innovation,” and it represents the guiding principle behind everything we do.

Vision

We never rest on our laurels. Our passion for what we do compels us to keep looking for the next opportunity to succeed. With corporate locations in Sunnyvale, California; Austin, Texas; and Markham, Ontario; and global operations and manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Europe and Asia, we’re one of the world’s leading integrated circuit manufacturers. We’re also among the market leaders in each of our core businesses: microprocessors and graphics and media solutions for the computer, communications, and consumer electronics industries.

Execution

Because our customers’ needs are ever-changing, AMD understands the value of looking towards—and keeping pace with—the future. To help ensure we meet our customers’ needs today and tomorrow, AMD invests in state-of-the-art technology research many years in advance of first commercial use.

Like other world-class companies, we are proud of our success, but we are never satisfied. At AMD, we are committed to delivering the innovative solutions our customers need, building the framework for sustainable growth going forward.